The owner, Scott Mitchell, followed me into a parking lot after I was forced to pass him on the right and honked at him. He parked behind me in the parking lot and confronted me about honking at him. I explained that he was in violation of Utah's left lane travel law, Utah Code Ann. 41-6a-704. Subsection (3) of that law states:
"On a highway having more than one lane in the same direction, the operator of a vehicle traveling in the left general purpose lane:
(a) shall, upon being overtaken by another vehicle in the same lane, yield to the overtaking vehicle by moving safely to a lane to the right; and
(b) may not impede the movement or free flow of traffic in the left general purpose lane."
Pursuant to the law, Mr. Mitchell had a legal obligation to yield to me as I was overtaking him from behind and move safely to the right. Instead, he remained in the left lane, going the speed limit. Mr. Mitchell attempted to defend his actions by saying that he was going the speed limit. However, the law clearly states that the operator of a motor vehicle may not impede the movement or free flow of traffic in the left general purpose lane.
Mr. Mitchell then insisted that he had done nothing wrong because the incident occurred on a city street and not a highway. His shocking ignorance prompted me to look up the definition of "highway" as it is used in the Utah Traffic Code. Under Utah Code Ann. 41-6a-102(32), "Highway" means the entire width between property lines of every way or place of any nature when any part of it is open to the use of the public as a matter of right for vehicular travel. This means that virtually any road open to public for driving is a "highway," as used in 41-6a-704(3). Mr. Mitchell could not understand this.
Fort Union Towing is owned by an ignorant person who will follow you to your destination and confront him when you correctly honk at him for violating the law. He is a professional driver but clearly does not understand basic traffic laws that 15-year-olds are taught. Avoid his services and call someone competent. read more